For the first time, Russia is becoming a budget destination thanks to Easyjet’s Moscow routes from Manchester and London. While seeing more of the country takes a lot of time and commitment, the Golden Ring is a great way to see a glimpse of traditional Russia. Made of up several traditional towns in a loop near Moscow, the ring is full of kremlins, monasteries and beautiful buildings in varying stages of preservation, repair or decay.
I spent four months living in Yaroslavl, which serves as a good base for exploring other towns, though many closer to Moscow are easy day trips. The below photos were taken in Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Rostov Veliky and Sergiev Posad.
Walls of Spasso-Yakovlevsky monastery
Inside the Sergiev Posad kremlin
Inside the Rostov Veliky kremlin
Yaroslavl’s assumption cathderal
Inside Ipatiev monastery
Frescoes
Alexander Nevsky chapel
Ipatiev monastery
Yaroslavl assumption cathedral
Old church
Ipatiev monastery
Inside the Rostov Veliky kremlin
Rostov Veliky skyline
View of monastery across the frozen Lake Nero
Traditional dacha
Inside Ipatiev monastery
Rostov Veilky kremlin
Church of Archangel Michael, Yaroslavl
Abandoned church walls
Traditional wooden architecture